The Pull: Of Man and Machine, pt 2
by foxgate
Summary: A group of paranormal investigators must stop a monster's killing spree
1. Introduction to The Pull episode 2

Welcome to the second episode of THE PULL. If you haven't read the first episode you might want to before continuing. After all, it's better to have an idea of what is going on before you dive into the middle of things and since this is a 12 episode series I'm not going to keep re-introducing characters and situations every episode unless I need to for the story. But the choice is really yours. So enjoy, or not. I like it. But that doesn't mean you have to. Be your own person. Be your own creature. Like the platypus. Do you think the platypus cares what others think of him? No. He knows he is a stupid, ugly creature and he couldn't be happier about it. We could all learn from the platypus. So remember: the platypus is your friend. Good day!


	2. Teaser

Montoya thought for sure that she was a goner. She could feel the hot breath intensely against her skin. She could feel the sliminess of its drool against her neck. Its rancid breath filled her nose. Then, suddenly, it was gone. Fresh air filled her lungs again as a cool breeze brushed against her skin.  
  
Montoya opened her eyes and saw a large, robotic figure holding the immensely large creature in the air with one hand. It seemed that it was studying the creature. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around.  
  
"Inside!" Damien yelled. "Now!"  
  
Montoya didn't need to hear that again. Before she could comprehend what had just happened in the past few seconds she was inside the vacant building that served as a back door entrance to Croaton Computers. For a second she felt safe, but she heard the sounds of a struggle outside.  
  
Against her better judgement, the young Puerto Rican girl opened the door a crack and peeked outside. She saw the large creature that attacked her and for the first time saw how massive it really was. It was closely rivaled by the robotic figure who fought alongside Damien. She had heard Network say something about a new guy named Paul and she figured that she was looking at him. She hoped that it was truly on their side for if not, then they were all in trouble.  
  
The creature smacked Damien aside like a ragdoll and made a beeline attack for the opponent that actually posed a threat. Paul moved with blinding speed and sent the monster flipping back about ten feet or so.  
  
"God, he's so strong," Montoya muttered to herself.  
  
You know we could take all of them.  
  
Not now!  
  
We almost died because you're so damn stubborn.  
  
Well, we didn't. So do me a favor and SHUT UP!  
  
She hated it when her "other" came forward. She had been doing it more lately since that witch in Cleveland invaded her mind. "The Pull" had weakened but the "other" had taken a more dominant personality, almost like she was sharing her body with someone, or something, else. And it was getting harder to fight her. When this was over she had to tell Damien and Network that there was a chance she might not be able to keep holding her back.  
  
Paul planted another right hook into the creature's massive jaws. Montoya could see that the creature was stunned. Now, hopefully, they could end this murder spree here and now.  
  
There was no such luck. As Paul approached the creature it leapt onto Paul's head, knocking him to the ground. Montoya could see the metal frame of Paul's head as the creature tried to crush him between its jaws. Montoya glanced at Damien, but he was still unconscious.  
  
We have to help him...it...whatever!  
  
We can't. YOU can't!  
  
Then, he will die. And who do you think will be next?  
  
There was a winding sound emanating from Paul. It built in intensity and finally unleashed as Paul brought his fist into the creature's chest. There was a sickening cracking sound and the creature flew a good ten feet into the air before crashing to the ground. It moaned and slowly returned to its feet. It hissed at Paul, then turn and ran down the alley.  
  
"It is getting away," Paul said, trying to run behind it but to little avail.  
  
Montoya opened the door and rushed to Damien's side. He was starting to regain consciousness now. "What can you do about it?" she asked Paul with a cynical tone in her voice. "You look like your batteries are running low."  
  
"I drained my immediate power reserves freeing myself from its clutches. They will recharge fully in approximately three minutes and twenty-seven seconds."  
  
"And by then it will be gone," Montoya spat. "I heard something crack, but it took off pretty quick. Heals fast?"  
  
Paul finally turned and looked at Montoya. "It is an Ogrellan demon. Its body recovers from superficial damage at an extraordinary rate. Internal damage requires the consumption of flesh. Human, demon, or otherwise. The blow I dealt it was highly lethal. The Ogrellan will feed, and soon." 


	3. Act One

"So what other information can you give us about this demon?" Network asked Paul.  
  
"Ogrellan demons are incredibly strong," Paul answered. "Their hides are immensely thick. Only someone of incredible strength can hope to pierce it with any sort of edged or piercing weaponry. They are fast for their size."  
  
Damien was getting antsy. "Anything that can help us find it before it kills again? Why was it attacking these woman? Where did it come from? Why aren't we looking for it now?"  
  
"Because," Network told his friend. "You're hurt, the Ogrellan or whatever is stronger than any of us save for Paul, and we have no idea how to stop it."  
  
Paul turn towards Damien. "I can answer some of your questions. An Ogrellan is attracted to the scent of blood. It almost puts them in a feral state. It is my belief that the women who were attacked were currently on this month's menstrual cycle."  
  
Network, Damien, and Paul all turned towards Montoya who sat quietly in the back of the White Room. She looked at each of their faces before saying, "Oh grow up!"  
  
"No doubt about that," Damien muttered. "Okay then. What about what you said about it needing to feed?"  
  
"An Ogrellan demon needs flesh to repair internal or severe damage to its body. When I shattered its rib cage that should have stopped it. That, combined with the veracity of the previous attacks, I believe an outside component was delivered to the Ogrellan."  
  
Network looked confused. "You mean someone infected the demon with some sort of mystical PCP or something?"  
  
Paul's eyes flickered for a moment. "An Ogrellan has to be summoned to appear in this dimension. Very few can break the borders of reality on their own. Whoever the summoner is most likely wanted to guarantee control over the demon. It would appear that they failed."  
  
'And you concluded all this from a few minutes fighting this thing?" Damien asked, uncertainty tainting his voice.  
  
"Yes. However, I admit that my theory has flaws in it."

* * *

Monica Stycker stared at the night sky. The stars were out and the weather was beautiful. It was nights like this that she wished she had a boyfriend, a lover, anything that she could share such a romantic view with. But as it were, she was alone. Something her family seemed to prefer.  
  
Her cell phone rang and she answered it. She instantly recognized her brother Jeremy's voice on the other end. "Hey bro," she said. "What's up?"  
  
"Just wondering when you were going to be home?" Jeremy asked. "It's getting late."  
  
Monica hated it when her family babied her. She was almost seventeen for Christ's sake. When were they going to back off? "I'll be there soon. I wanted to swing by the motel and say hi to Eric." There was a long pause on the phone. "Okay, but be sure to hurry home right after. There have been those killings and I would hate anything to happen to you."  
  
Monica sighed. "Yes, big brother. I'll come right home after."  
  
Monica shook her head as she ended the call and put her phone away. Why had she been born a Stycker? Probably didn't matter anyway. Any family would probably be the same way.  
  
"Well," she said aloud to herself. "Guess I better hurry over to the motel so I can get home."

* * *

Montoya paced the length of her apartment. She had almost died tonight. Probably would have if she had been attacked anywhere else. It was the single most frightening thing she had ever been through, including the whole ordeal with The Shadowed Man. And he radiated fear.  
  
"My God," she said, a thought realizing in her head. "Those women. They must have been terrified."  
  
"Don't dwell on it," a familiar voice said. Montoya looked up and saw Network standing in her door. She hadn't even realized she left it open. "They were most likely terrified, but the brutality of the attacks indicate that they didn't have time to fully comprehend what was going on."  
  
Montoya wrapped her arms around herself. "What if you're wrong, Nathaniel? What if they new exactly what was going on and couldn't do anything about it?"  
  
Network had nothing to say. He stared at Montoya for a full minute before asking her if she was okay and needed anything.  
  
Montoya sat in her chair. "No thank-you, Nathaniel. I think I'm going to read then go to bed."  
  
"Well if you change your mind, you know where I'll be, ok?"  
  
Network left, closing Montoya's door on the way out.

* * *

"How are we going to locate this thing?" Damien asked Paul. "I mean, it was luck we even encountered it at all."  
  
"Montoya might disagree with that," Network said as he entered the White Room. "She's pretty badly shaken up."  
  
Paul tilted his head in Network's direction. "That is most unfortunate. But I must press that the Ogrellan will kill again and very soon if it hasn't already. We cannot worry about the emotional state of your friend."  
  
"That's pretty cold, even for a robot." Damien spat out. "But I agree. Montoya will get over it. She got over The Shadowed Man for the most part despite his promise to come after her. The next victim most likely won't be as lucky as she was."  
  
Network released a long sigh. "You're right," he relented. "Any ideas on how to find this demon?"  
  
Paul's eyes flickered in the way that Damien and Network now new meant he was accessing his internal data banks. "Damien," he said after a moment. "You are a sorcerer, correct?"  
  
Damien nodded his head. "Close enough. We can locate it with magic?"  
  
"No. However, we can locate where it was summoned which may lead us not only to who summoned it but also the Ogrellan."  
  
Network sat at his computer and started pulling up all the information on spells at their disposal. "What spell do we need?" he asked Paul.  
  
"I doubt you have heard of it but I happen to know the ritual. It isn't precise, but it will give us some leads to go on. Damien, you will have to perform the ritual."  
  
"Not a problem," Damien assured Paul. "Just tell me what I need to do."

* * *

Monica walked into the New Roanoke Motel. She made it a point to walk as far as she could from Room 110. Something about death made her...uneasy.  
  
Eric Stycker stood behind the counter shuffling through some paperwork. He had been concierge of the motel since their father purchased it five years ago. It wasn't as nice as the New Roanoke Grand Hotel that they lived in, but she was pretty sure that not many could come to the luxury of that.  
  
Eric noticed Monica and smiled. "Hey, little sister. What brings you all the way out here? It isn't safe here at night you know."  
  
"I know. Jeremy gave me the lecture on the way over here. I promised I would be quick and head straight home afterwards."  
  
"So what can I do for you?" Eric asked.  
  
Monica looked around. "Nothing. I just wanted to say hi. Make sure you're okay. I can't believe you remained open after the murder that happened the other night."  
  
Eric smiled. "People don't stop getting off the bus just because someone dies, Monica. I have a business to run. After all, I hope to be as successful as Father and Grandfather."  
  
Monica eyed her brother curiously for a moment. "Eric, the reports say that the woman in 110 was brutally murdered. Literally torn apart. She didn't just die."  
  
Eric's smile didn't drop. He had a long time to perfect it while working at the Grand Hotel, she wasn't surprised it didn't waver here. He must be one hell of a poker player.  
  
"Monica, is something bothering you?"  
  
Monica quickly looked away from her brother. "Um...not really. It's just..."  
  
Eric stared at his sister.  
  
"Didn't you hear anything that night?"  
  
Eric now looked confused, but his ever present smile remained. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I have a friend who works at dispatch, Eric. She said only one call came from the motel that night and that was from her room. Why didn't you call? You had to have heard something."  
  
"Monica, she was all the way at the end of the motel. I was vacuuming the office. I couldn't have heard anything."  
  
Monica stared at her brother for a long moment. "Okay." she finally said. "I'm sorry if I implied anything, but you know how I am. I like to know what's going on at all times, especially when it comes to our family."  
  
"It's no big, Monica. Now run home and get some sleep, okay? It's late and we wouldn't want anything to happen to you."  
  
Something about what her brother just said coupled with the smile on his face disturbed Monica. She quickly said goodbye and almost ran out the door. There was just too many things going on with these murders. Too many coincidences.

* * *

Network, Damien, and Paul stared at the large computer monitor that covered the south wall of the White Room. A map of New Roanoke was displayed with several red dots and several yellow dots at certain locations. Network quickly searched through several files on each location on a smaller monitor on his workstation.  
  
"Okay," he said. "The red dots indicate a murder site and the yellow are fluctuations of mystical energy that we gathered from Paul's ritual. The oldest and most likely of the fluctuations is located hear in Northern Roanoke."  
  
"That's close to the Grand Hotel," Damien said.  
  
Network nodded. "Which means anyone could have visited, summoned the Ogrellan, and left by now."  
  
"No," Paul said. "He is still near. If he is trying to control the Ogrellan he would not leave."  
  
"Okay, then," Damien said. "I guess I am going north."

* * *

Monica walked into the Grand Hotel. The lobby was enormous and quiet. If the hotel had any guests then they were most likely asleep in their rooms or still out enjoying the New Roanoke nightlife. Which could be dangerous, Monica thought to herself.  
  
Jeremy walked from the back room and, upon noticing it was Monica, returned to the office. "Come on in, Monica," he said in a voice that indicated to her that she had little choice.  
  
Monica sat in a chair across from Jeremy's desk and looked around at the artwork that covered his office. He had a thing for Dali's paintings, which seemed appropriate somehow. After a few minutes she finally asked her brother why she was called into his office.  
  
Jeremy Stycker sighed. "Eric called me."  
  
"Yeah? Did he want to make sure I got home okay?" Monica knew exactly why he had called.  
  
"What happened out there the other night was a tragedy, Monica. Eric is trying to make it on his own to show father he can. Business is already going to take a big hit because of that murder and, frankly, whatever you were doing out there isn't helping."  
  
"Jeremy, don't you think its odd that Eric didn't hear anything that night? That the other victim was..."  
  
"A coincidence," a familiar and strong voice spoke from the doorway.  
  
Monica turned around in her chair. "Hi, daddy," she said, almost sheepishly.  
  
Roland Stycker walked over to Monica and gave his daughter a kiss on her forehead. His silk tie brushed against her face and she remembered that he was always very well dressed, no matter what time of day it was.  
  
"Sweetheart, you needn't concern yourself with such things, okay? Eric is doing an excellent job running the motel and may even succeed where your brother expected him to fail. This tragedy is just that. It would almost seem that whoever is running around New Roanoke killing people has a vendetta against our family."  
  
Monica stood up. "Whatever you say, daddy. But I'm not so sure it's as cut and dry as that."  
  
Monica left the office and headed to the stairs.  
  
"Monica," Roland's voice boomed. "Don't go sticking your nose into family business. The police will stop this killer soon enough. Then everything will be made clear, okay?"  
  
Monica knew she had to be being lied to. "Sure, daddy. Whatever you say."  
  
She changed her direction and headed out the front door, making sure she slammed it on the way. 


	4. Act Two

Montoya awoke from a particularly bad dream. She knew exactly what caused it: almost being eaten by some monstrous demon. It didn't take a shrink to know that much. But in her dream there was something different, something that scared her to her bones.  
  
In the dream, she was fighting the demon. And she was winning.  
  
Montoya lay awake trying to figure out why this scared her so. Why would facing her fears and coming out victorious be frightening?  
  
_Because then you would have to admit you need me_.  
  
That was it. She would have to accept that her "other" was a part of her and she would have to let her take control at times. That was the thought that scared her more than anything else.  
  
_I don't want you to have control. Not ever. I don't want people to get hurt_.  
  
_Oh, God! If I have to hear you whine one more time then I'm going to do everything I can to gain control just so I can kill myself.  
_  
_Why are we like this? Why aren't we normal?_  
  
_Who says we aren't?  
_  
_This can't be normal. Who hears voices in their heads? Who talks to themselves? Who has other people living inside their minds?_  
  
_I would answer that but I'm afraid it would frighten you_. Montoya shook the sleep from her eyes. "I wonder how Nathaniel and Damien are doing?" she wondered aloud. She quickly put on some clothes and walked down to the White Room.  
  
Inside, she found Network and Paul going over a map of New Roanoke. Montoya hadn't been here long enough to really familiarize herself with the city, but she knew where some places were located and she could tell that the area that these two were focusing on the most was around the New Roanoke Grand Hotel.  
  
"Let me guess where Damien is," she said.  
  
Network and Paul turned around. Network glanced at the map, then back to Montoya. "Yeah. He's searching around up there. Hopefully he'll find something useful."  
  
"We believe that the Ogrellan was summon in that immediate area," Paul informed Montoya.  
  
Network waved his hand in a cutting motion towards his neck. When Paul seemed to not understand, he explained. "Montoya is...sensitive to the kind of work we do here. She doesn't really want any part of it."  
  
Paul looked at Montoya, his head cocked to the side. "But she is already a part of it," he said. "Just being around you and Damien involves her."  
  
Network shot an apologetic look at Montoya. Montoya shook her head and said, "He's right, Nathaniel. I can't keep avoiding this. If my helping you can save someone their life, then I need to get over my fear of this and help."  
  
_Whoa! Who are you and what have you done with Montoya?  
_  
_Shut up!  
_  
"Glad to hear you say that, Montoya," Network said. "Paul has a complete rundown on this Ogrellan demon in his internal archives. He transferred it to this disc. I need you to look it over and come up with a fast and efficient way to kill this thing once we find it. Paul could do it, but I have him helping me work through some other things, and I am also working on downloading his archives as backup to our mainframes."  
  
Montoya took the disc from Network. "Sounds like a full plate."  
  
"It is the only logical thing to do," Paul said. "I am the only one strong enough to fight the Ogrellan and if I am damaged or destroyed in the battle then my archives can be secure in your mainframes."  
  
"Just point me to a work station," Montoya said.

* * *

Damien walked through the woods, taking great care to pay attention to every detail, both physical and metaphysical. There was a strong sense of the magicks around, and Damien was positive that this had to be the location the Ogrellan was summoned. Now if he could pinpoint the exact site then Network and Paul could confirm it.  
  
There was a sudden pull towards the Grand Hotel and Damien followed it. He whispered a protection spell to insure that he had that extra edge if the need arose. When he heard someone walking nearby, he was glad he invoked it.  
  
A young blond girl walked down the gravel road that lead to the Grand Hotel. She was beautiful but easily in her teens. Damien could tell that she was angry about something, but couldn't make out what she was saying. He watched her for a few seconds before realizing that she was heading into town.  
  
Without a second though, Damien stepped out onto the road behind the girl. "Awfully late for a stroll, isn't it?"  
  
The girl spun around. Damien was amazed that she didn't appeared scared in the slightest. She reminded him of his twin Damon. God, he missed him.  
  
"I can take care of myself," the girl spat. "Who are you supposed to be?" She nodded at Damien, indicating his clothes.  
  
Damien looked down at his long, black coat and black clothes underneath. He looked like a spy out of a bad espionage movie. "I'm something of a detective," he told her.  
  
"Oh yeah? What are you doing snooping around my family's home?"  
  
Damien eyed the girl. She was definitely confident. "Last I knew it was a hotel."  
  
"It is. But my family lives there also."  
  
"And who is your family?"  
  
The girl turned to walk away. "I don't feel like playing games, mister. Have fun snooping around."  
  
Damien watched the girl walk away. He wanted to warn her about the Ogrellan, but he doubt she would be in harm's way right now. The demon seemed to stick to the city. Still...  
  
"Watch out for monsters."  
  
The girl stopped dead in her tracks. She slowly turned around. "What?"  
  
Damien almost laughed outloud. "I mean, you never know what kind of crazy people are out there tonight. You heard about the murders in town, haven't you?" The girl walked towards Damien. "What exactly are you looking for out here?"  
  
"Something that can help me stop the killer. You live around here, have you seen anything?"  
  
The girl looked around as though she suspected someone to be listening to their conversation. "What do you know about the murders?"  
  
Damien studied the girl for a moment. Should he tell her what he knew, or play a different hand? He figured that at this point she was the closest thing to a lead he had, so he had to see what she knew.  
  
Damien sighed. "This may be hard to hear, or to believe, but you have to. The killer isn't human."  
  
The girl had a look of fear cross her face, but no disbelief. She muttered, "I knew it."  
  
"What do you know?"  
  
"I can't talk now but I want to get a hold of you. Do you have a number or something I can reach you at?"  
  
Damien pulled out his notebook and wrote down his cell phone number. He handed it to the girl. "My name's Damien. Yours?"  
  
"Monica."

* * *

"So, from what I can gather about this Ogrellan," Montoya said, staring at a computer screen. "Is that the scent of blood tends to drive it into some sort of blood lust."  
  
"Correct," Paul confirmed.  
  
Montoya studied the file on the computer. "But this particular Ogrellan is infected with an outside source making it super strong and crazy?"  
  
"It would appear so," Paul, again, confirmed.  
  
Montoya sat in silence for a long moment studying the file that had been downloaded from Paul's archive. Network finished disconnecting the wires from Paul, and was putting them away when his cell phone rang.  
  
He answered it. "Hey, Damien. Any luck?"  
  
There was silence for a few minutes. Montoya watched as Network's expression changed from casual indifference to surprise. "And you think she might be able to figure out what's going on?" Network asked. Once again there was silence for a few moments. "Alright, Damien. We'll be here."  
  
"Damien find a lead," Montoya asked as Network put his phone away.  
  
"He found a girl who might have some answers. Apparently her and her family live at the Grand Hotel."  
  
"Where the Ogrellan originated," Paul said.  
  
"Yes. She is apparently looking into something, but she is supposed to call Damien. Could be nothing, but she seemed to have an idea, I guess."

* * *

Monica waited for Jeremy to leave the office. She watched him head upstairs and, once she thought everything was safe, quickly made her way into the office. She made sure she quietly shut the door and then pulled out a flashlight. She started going through the filing cabinets and the various papers that cluttered the desk. There was nothing about the killer anywhere. Of course, it wasn't like her family to just leave important documents like that laying about, so why had she thought this time would be different?  
  
The light clicked on, startling her. She turned around and saw Eric standing in the doorway. "What are you doing, little sister?" he asked.  
  
"I'm, uh, I'm trying to find..." Monica stammered. She took a deep breath, then sighed. "What's going on with this killer, Eric?"  
  
Eric look confused. "What?"  
  
"Don't give me that, Eric. I'm not stupid. Look at the victim list so far: A writer who reports on paranormal occurrences, your ex-girlfriend who everyone thought was going to go blabbing to whoever about family secrets. Who's next? Me? Because I won't sit idly by and let innocent people get murdered."  
  
Eric's faced turned from surprise to contempt. "I don't know what you're talking about, Monica, but you are playing a dangerous game here."  
  
"He's correct, Monica," came another voice. Roland Stycker walked into the office. "You don't ever want to go against family in anything, daughter."  
  
"What is it with this supernatural Mafia?" Monica shouted. "What are we hoping to achieve here?"  
  
"You are young, Monica," Roland said, his voice smooth as silk. "You are not ready to be inducted into the family yet. But the time will come when you will be ready to understand." Monica's eyes started to water. "I'm sorry, daddy." She said. "But I could never do some of the things you do."  
  
"I know, Monica." Roland reached his arms out and took his daughter in them. She started to cry, sobbing into his expensive and tailor-made suit. "As I said, you are not yet ready. Your brothers were the same way. But soon you will be."  
  
Monica pulled herself away from her father. "Daddy, I have to know about this creature that is killing people. It has to stop."  
  
Roland stared at his daughter for a long moment. "I know, Monica. Events have already been placed into motion for it."  
  
There was a sharp sting in the back of Monica's neck. She yet out a short scream before falling unconscious. Jeremy stood about five feet behind her, holding a tranquilizer gun in his hand.  
  
"Sleep, daughter," Roland said to the unconscious Monica. "Let Family take care of family business." 


	5. Act Three

Damien walked into the clearing, surprised to find what appeared to be a stone altar smack dab in the center. Stone tablets surrounded the altar like some neo-Stonehenge. He could feel the use of recent magicks in the area, and couldn't believe that everything was displayed so blatantly.  
  
"Quite the set up, isn't it?" a voice spoke from behind him. Damien turned and saw a man, maybe mid-twenties, wearing khaki pants and a black turtle neck underneath a leather jacket. He had short, dirty blond hair. "Took me about six years to get it right."  
  
Damien remained motionless, watching the man walk around the clearing, running a carefree hand over the altar and tablets. "You built this?"  
  
The man smiled. "Of course. The family needed someone adept with the mystical forces of nature to build this conduit, and I was the only one who had actual schooling in that aspect of our world."  
  
"You're pretty free with this information."  
  
"You'll be dead soon enough. I just figured you would like to know why you were dying."  
  
"I've seen a lot of Bond films," Damien said. "You might not want to tell your master plan."  
  
"Master plan?" the man laughed. "No master plan, I'm sorry. More of an experiment. The family had some loose ends that needed tying, and I had a theory brewing. So we killed two birds, so to speak, with one stone."  
  
Damien was trying his best to keep his anger in check. He starting whispering an incantation, keeping it ready for when he needed it.  
  
"It worries the family that you came this far in your investigations. It bothers us even more that one of our own was ready to turn information over to you. But she's being dealt with."  
  
"Monica?" Damien asked.  
  
"Of course. My cousin. Well, I'm afraid that's all the time I have for you." There was a growling in the woods nearby. Damien knew that the Ogrellan was coming. "I would like to say I am sorry for this, but really, I'm not."  
  
"We'll meet again."  
  
The man smiled. "That would be interesting, but not completely unlikely on a hellmouth."  
  
The man turned and left, disappearing into the woods. Damien quickly grabbed his cell phone and dialed Network's number.  
  
"Hey, any luck?" Network said when he answered the phone.  
  
"No time. If you have any way to kill the Ogrellan I need it now!"  
  
"You found it?"  
  
"Not exactly. It's about to find me. Look, I can explain everything later but I need to stay alive first. How do I kill this thing?"  
  
Damien could hear Network typing on his computer. "Well, there's no reports of any murders, so unless it fed on some other demon or something, it should still be mortally wounded."  
  
"That's a relief," Damien sighed. "So I have a chance."  
  
There was a large growl and Damien could see feel the vibrations through the ground that the demon sent out with every step. It was close and Damien needed a plan and fast.  
  
"It's almost he-OW!" Damien dropped his phone as a sharp pain ripped through his arm. He looked at it and saw a deep gash. It was starting to bleed. "Not good."  
  
Damien could hear Network hollering over the phone and bent down to pick it up. "Someone shot me, Network. I'm bleeding."  
  
"Damn!" Network cursed. "Bad?" "Superficial. Arm wound. I think it was meant to be that way, if you catch me."  
  
"To drive the Ogrellan into a bloodlust."  
  
"Exactly. I need to kill this thing, Nate. How do I do it?"  
  
There was no time for an answer as the Ogrellan broke into the clearing.

* * *

Monica awoke, her head pounding and the room spinning. "Where...am...I?" she muttered.  
  
"You're safe, Monica," her father said. Monica's vision started to straighten and she noticed that she was in her room on her bed.  
  
"Why?" she said, the grogginess starting to fade.  
  
Roland stood up. "This family has operated in this city for many, many generations, Monica. I'm not proud that it hasn't been all legitimate, but none the less, we have survived and benefitted from our business."  
  
"What are you talking about, father?" Monica asked.  
  
"My daughter," Roland sighed, handing her a glass of water from the night stand. "You know the sort of business we are in. I never lied or tried to keep it from you. We deal in scary things, and it was my belief that you should always be aware of the dangers the world offered. The REAL dangers."  
  
"I still don't..."  
  
"Monica, I want you to meet someone." Roland motioned to a corner of the room. This was the first time she noticed the cloaked figure in her room. "His name is Knartook. He has worked with the family since its inception. He is a demon."  
  
Knartook removed his cloak and showed a ghastly visage. His head was a mere skull with three horns protruding from the forehead. Strange tattoos covered his face. And when he spoke, it was like the sound of worlds dying.  
  
"Do not fear me, child," the demon said.  
  
"Daddy," Monica said, her voice shaking. "What's going on?"  
  
"Monica, Knartook is here to help us deal with the problem you present. He is here to do something I can not."  
  
"You can't be serious!" Monica shouted. Roland turned to leave the room. "Daddy! Don't leave! I'm your daughter!"  
  
"Everything will be okay, Monica. You'll see." Roland closed the door behind him.  
  
Knartook floated (for he did not actually walk) towards Monica. "Hush, child," the demon said. It put a single, boney hand out above Monica's forehead, not actually touching it. "Soon you will see."  
  
Outside the room, Roland heard his daughter scream in agony. A single tear fell from his right eye. He wiped it away and walked down the hall.

* * *

Damien jumped out of the way of the Ogrellan's attack. Its massive claws just missing his torso by mere millimeters. Damien quickly jumped to his feet and muttered the spell he kept ready. A blast of purple light flew from his hands and hit the demon. It hollered as purple lightning exploded around it and lashed its arms about like clubs, smashing the altar and surrounding tablets. After a few moments, the spell ended and the Ogrellan turned its attention to Damien again, anger written plainly across its face.  
  
"Okay," Damien said. "Plan B then."  
  
The Ogrellan moved with blinding speed, surprising for something that was supposed to be mortally wounded. Damien dodged its attack again, just missing bashing his head into the altar. He pulled out his cell phone and hit the speed dial to Network's phone.  
  
"Anything, yet?" He yelled when Network answered.  
  
"Working on it. We have Montoya looking into it also."  
  
"Great. Order a pizza and throw a party while I'm dying out here!"  
  
"That's the plan," Network said, sarcasm more than dripping each word.  
  
Damien saw the Ogrellan once again turn towards him. He muttered another spell, this one for speed, and took off running. He didn't have any plan, but he figured that whoever was behind this creature was from the family who lived in the Grand Hotel. He was going to bring it home.

* * *

Monica was breathing heavy. Pain still wracked her body. The demon loomed over her. "Do you understand now, child?" it asked, its voice grating on her very soul.  
  
"Yes," she muttered.  
  
"Good."  
  
Suddenly Knartook was gone. Roland entered the room again. "How are you doing?"  
  
Monica climbed out of bed. "I am fine, father."  
  
"Lie back down, Monica. You'll need to rest."  
  
"I am fine, father."  
  
Roland stared at his daughter. "Yes, I can see that. This happened earlier than I would have liked. I wanted you to enjoy your youth before you joined the family."  
  
"I'm not part of the family yet."  
  
"I know." Roland laughed. "You will be, though. As soon as this affair is taken care of."

* * *

Damien burst through the double doors of the Grand Hotel. He surveyed the lobby and instantly ran for the stairs. A few seconds behind him, the Ogrellan entered the hotel, though in a far more destructive way. Damien laughed, taking a small pleasure in the financial troubles he was causing whoever was behind this.  
  
What Damien didn't expect, however, was the Ogrellan to leap from the lobby to the second floor balcony, cutting him off his path.  
  
"What the hell!" he heard someone yell from the lobby. He glanced and saw young man dressed in a concierge's uniform. He recognized him as the young man who ran the New Roanoke Motel. _What the hell, indeed_, Damien thought.  
  
The Ogrellan slashed his clawed fingers at Damien, who did the unthinkable and jumped onto the Ogrellan's face. The demon spun around, trying to fling Damien. It finally grabbed his coat and slammed him into a room door, knocking it down, and the wind from Damien.  
  
Damien heard yelling from far away as he fought to get air into his lungs again. The Ogrellan suddenly appeared in the doorway of the room and the only thing Damien could think of was to mutter another spell, his specialty for strength.  
  
The Ogrellan charged into the room, growling at Damien. Damien rolled forward, putting all the strength he could muster into a forward punch into the demon's chest. The creature howled in pain, but otherwise barely noticed. Damien, however, felt a rib shift and knew that it hadn't had the time to fully regenerate.  
  
Damien ran back into the hallway and turned around to watch the Ogrellan. The demon turned and charged at Damien, who remained perfectly motionless. The Ogrellan plowed right into Damien, crashing the both of them through the bannister and plummeting to the lobby below. Damien used every ounce of strength he had to push himself out of the Ogrellan's grasp and jump towards the chandelier. He barely made it, but no one watching would be able to tell with the deftness he displayed as he pulled himself up onto the chandelier.  
  
The Ogrellan hit the lobby floor with a sickening snapping sound. Damien wasted no time and muttered a spell to break the chain holding the chandelier. As the gorgeous, heavy (and very expensive) chandelier fell, Damien leapt from it, pulling himself into a ball and rolling to his feet. The chandelier shattered and the Ogrellan let out one final howl before its head fell back limp. It was dead.  
  
There was silence for a moment that was broken by Damien's cell phone ringing. He answered it.  
  
"Damien!" Network's voice cut through. "We have an idea how you can kill the Ogrellan."  
  
"Already done," Damien said in between deep breaths.  
  
"Oh," Network sounded surprised. "Then, job well done. See you soon?"  
  
"In a bit. I have something to take care of first."  
  
Damien put his phone away as an older man dressed in a very well-tailored suit approached him. Behind him was Monica, looking none the worse for wear, and two younger men; one the concierge from the New Roanoke Motel and the other who looked so similar who could have been a brother.  
  
"Who are you?" the older man demanded.  
  
"My name is Damien Thatcher. Now, if you don't mind, would you or someone here please tell me who you people are and exactly what the hell is going on?"  
  
"I'll handle this, father," Monica said. She walked forward and motioned for Damien to walk into the office.  
  
Once inside the office, Monica sat behind the desk and offered Damien the seat in front of her.  
  
"I'll stand, thanks," Damien denied the offer. "So what is this, Monica?"  
  
"I can't go into too much detail, Damien. I may not agree with the solution my family used to solve a current problem, but it was effective none the less."  
  
Damien studied Monica. "You can't be very old, Monica. Sixteen, seventeen maybe?"  
  
"My age is irrelevant, Damien. You did excellent work taking care of that..." she glanced out the door where she could barely see the Ogrellan lying in the lobby. "You do good work, Damien." "I have a good team. Monica, what is going on here?"  
  
Monica looked at the wall for a long moment. "Damien, I can't tell you family business. All I can say is stay clear. You don't want us for an enemy."  
  
"I don't even know who you are," Damien said.  
  
"It's better that way." She stared into his dark eyes for a long moment. She hated that it had to be this way but...oh who was she kidding? He had to be at least ten years older then her. "You're free to go, Damien. I know you'll want to look into this more, but I assure you: don't."  
  
Damien was going to say something but didn't. Instead he turned and left the office. In the lobby he looked over everyone's faces, committing them to memory.  
  
"Take my daughter's advice," the older man said. "Keep out of this."  
  
"We'll see," Damien turned his back on the rest and left the hotel.  
  
Monica stood in the doorway of the office, staring after Damien. Her father put a gentle hand on her shoulder.  
  
"You should get some rest," he told her. "Tomorrow's going to be a big day."  
  
"Yeah," she sighed. Monica looked at her father, then turned away and headed towards the stairs.

* * *

Everyone was happy to see Damien walk into the White Room at Croaton Computers. Montoya greeted him with a hug and Network told him "job well done." Paul also applauded Damien in his robot-with-a-soul way.  
  
"We don't have a lot of time for celebration," Damien said, interrupting the good mood. "We need to do research on the owners of the Grand Hotel as well as the New Roanoke Motel."  
  
Network looked concerned. "Were they the ones behind the Ogrellan?"  
  
"I believe so, but I think there is something more going on there. I think we are going to have several run-ins with them and I don't like them having the advantage on us."  
  
"Will do," Network said. "Oh, and guess who decided to join the team?"  
  
Damien looked at Montoya. "Glad to hear it."  
  
Montoya blushed. "I just decided I could do more good here than sulking in my room."  
  
"I agree," Damien smiled. "And we're going to need all the help we can get. I have a feeling things are going to get hectic in the near future."  
  
Network turned to Paul. "The big guy's going to stick around, also, Damien."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Correct," Paul said. "You may need my assistance and New Roanoke is where I desire to be."  
  
"Desire is a human trait, Paul," Damien said.  
  
"One of many I feel will again resurface with my contact with fellow humans. With friends."  
  
"Then it's settled," Damien said. "I feel like I'm in a bad pilot for a crappy TV show." Everyone laughed. "Come on, team. We have work to do."  
  
THE END 


End file.
